Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 23
>Chapter Title: Rage Leader (2)
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The next day around lunchtime.
Seo Wan-pyeong was wandering the grounds of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult with a gloomy expression.
Thanks to the side effects of his paranoia-induced insomnia, and the nature of the assassination-focused missions that came with the martial arts he practiced, his gaunt face was exposed to the sunlight.
Seo Wan-pyeong frowned unpleasantly and used his hand to block the sunlight beaming toward his eyes.
‘A refreshing day.’
Contrary to his outward expression, his inner mood wasn’t bad.
The reason his mood had improved lately went without saying—it was thanks to Il-mok.
Whenever gloomy thoughts arose, or he felt self-loathing for failing to properly handle the tasks his master had assigned, or trouble cropped up in the Shadow Assassination Division and he thought it was all his fault, Seo Wan-pyeong would go find his youngest junior brother.
The youngest junior brother was a remarkable boy.
He came up with solutions that Seo Wan-pyeong himself couldn’t think of easily, and he always reminded him whenever he had misinterpreted their master’s words.
Lately, Seo Wan-pyeong had even started entertaining positive thoughts like maybe his master didn’t hate him after all.
He had once thought himself a pathetic fool for needing help from his youngest junior brother, who was so much younger than him.
—What are you talking about, senior brother! You’ve let me personally witness the sword of my most respected senior brother and even given me the chance for a spar. Compared to the grace you’ve bestowed upon me, this is nothing!
After hearing those words from his youngest junior brother yesterday, such thoughts had vanished completely.
That was why Seo Wan-pyeong was heading to Wind Rock Hall, where his youngest junior brother was staying, even today.
Not because it was a bad day, but willingly, to spar with his junior brother and teach him the sword.
As he strolled through the cult’s grounds like that.
Seo Wan-pyeong spotted a familiar figure.
“I greet Eldest Senior Brother.”
Wi Jin-hak, who had been pacing back and forth in the same spot like a dog desperate to poop, burst into hearty laughter at Seo Wan-pyeong’s greeting.
“Ha ha ha ha! It’s been a while since we’ve met in broad daylight, junior brother.”
At his senior brother’s welcoming words, Seo Wan-pyeong thought, ‘You creepy guy who only lurks in dark places—what brings you out in the daytime?’
But he quickly shook his head to dispel the negative thought. It might just be his misunderstanding.
‘I should ask the youngest junior brother about it.’
With that in mind, Seo Wan-pyeong asked his eldest senior brother.
“But do you have some worry on your mind?”
“There’s a little issue with the Red Dragon Squad, so I’m pondering how to handle it. Ha ha ha.”
Seo Wan-pyeong nodded at Wi Jin-hak’s answer. “I see.”
Just as Seo Wan-pyeong handled the cult’s affairs in the Shadow Assassination Division, Eldest Senior Brother Wi Jin-hak belonged to the armed unit known as the Red Dragon Squad.
The difference was that while Seo Wan-pyeong was a mid-level officer in the Shadow Assassination Division, Wi Jin-hak was the leader of the Red Dragon Squad.
“This is tricky. Leading my men to smash the skulls of heretics is a piece of cake, but this matter is a bit complicated, so it’s got me stumped.”
As he spoke and laughed heartily, Seo Wan-pyeong watching his eldest senior brother suddenly had a thought.
“Then, why don’t you come with me?”
“Go? Where to?”
“I don’t know what your worry is, senior brother, but I feel like that kid could give you good advice.”
“Oh ho! Sounds intriguing!”
Wi Jin-hak didn’t even ask who ‘that kid’ was and followed his third junior brother with a foolish grin.
* * *
Around that time, as usual, I was spending time with Seon-a and Jin Ha-yeon.
Clunk.
The door to Wind Rock Hall opened, and two guests arrived.
I checked their faces and hurriedly clasped my hands in greeting.
“I greet Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother.”
But even as I greeted them, my mind was racing.
‘Paranoid Senior Brother comes every day now, so that’s fine, but why is Rage Leader Senior Brother here?’
And, most helpfully, Paranoid Senior Brother cleared up my confusion.
“Nice to see you, little one. On the way here, I ran into Eldest Senior Brother and we chatted. He had a worry, so I brought him along.”
“I see.”
I responded reflexively, but inwardly, I was dumbfounded.
‘Why bring Rage Leader Senior Brother here just because he mentioned a worry?’
Eldest Senior Brother Wi Jin-hak was the man who practiced the Explosive Demon Net Sword Art and suffered from anger management issues.
Of course, there were rumors he was close to Transcending Demon, but the key point was that he hadn’t fully transcended yet.
One wrong word, and his anger issues could erupt.
But unaware of my inner thoughts, Paranoid Senior Brother suddenly spoke to Rage Leader Senior Brother.
“Eldest Senior Brother, you’ve probably already heard, but this youngest here is remarkably clever for his age. He might even solve your problem, so why not tell him?”
“Ha ha ha! Come to think of it, Master did mention something like that! Alright, I’ll tell you.”
With that, Wi Jin-hak Eldest Senior Brother spilled his worry without even asking my opinion.
“Recently, one of our Red Dragon Squad’s vice leaders was promoted to leader of the vacant Black Tiger Squad position in recognition of his contributions. The problem is, instead of pulling a vice leader from elsewhere, Master told me to pick one myself—from the current squad leaders in the Red Dragon Squad.”
Hearing it, it did sound like a real headache.
‘Picking just one out of many to promote. Yeah, that’s bound to cause issues in all sorts of ways.’
His head must have been aching from the worry, as Eldest Senior Brother kept rambling on.
“Each has their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re guys I’ve been with for so long in the Red Dragon Squad, ever since I first joined as vice leader. One’s skilled but too slippery, another is…”
Folding his fingers one by one, he rattled off details about the squad leaders at length.
Finally finishing his explanation, Eldest Senior Brother asked.
“In this situation, what do you think would be best, little one?”
At his question, I put on a deeply contemplative expression for a moment.
Misinterpreting my face perhaps, Third Senior Brother said to me.
“Speak your mind freely. Eldest Senior Brother may look fierce, but he’s a great man who listens well to others.”
“!!!”
At Third Senior Brother’s nudge, I flinched involuntarily.
Calling him ugly to his face!
But unlike my flinch, Eldest Senior Brother just roared with laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha! Plenty of people get scared just looking at my face!”
At that reaction, I inwardly sighed in relief.
‘Phew. He doesn’t seem sensitive about his looks.’
But we weren’t in the clear yet, so I opened my mouth as cautiously as possible.
“I thought hard about it, but honestly, I don’t really know.”
Truth be told, I’d planned to say this from the moment he arrived, pretending to ponder.
‘Help him out here, and my workload increases again? Am I crazy?’
It was the same back in Korea. Do good work, and you get more work. And after two months here, I’d realized it was no different.
With Master and now Third Senior Brother piling it on, I didn’t want another burden.
The only issue was the fear that Eldest Senior Brother’s rage might explode.
Making my inner tension pointless, he wasn’t angry—instead, he looked bitter.
Not Eldest Senior Brother, but Third Senior Brother.
‘Why are you the one looking disappointed?’
Eldest Senior Brother, who had actually shared his worry, wasn’t mad and was grinning his usual dumb smile.
“Ha ha ha ha! Looks like it’s a tough one even for the youngest junior brother.”
For some reason, the disappointed Third Senior Brother even apologized to Eldest Senior Brother on my behalf.
“Ahem. Sorry about that, Eldest Senior Brother.”
“Ha ha ha! No need for my junior brother to apologize. Ha ha ha! This senior brother’s just too dumb for this.”
As Eldest Senior Brother laughed heartily and glanced around, his eyes met Seon-a’s.
“Oh ho! The little miss from the Hyeok-ryeon Clan! I’ve heard you’ve been visiting the youngest junior brother often lately.”
“I’m not little.”
Seon-a replied in an unusually pouty tone.
“A ha ha ha! Looks like this dumb senior brother stole your playtime with the youngest and upset you! Ha ha ha! What a cute girl.”
Whether because he read her mind or because he kept taking her time with Eldest Senior Brother.
Seon-a pursed her lips and muttered whinily.
“Young Master is an idiot.”
The moment Seon-a spat those short words.
“A ha ha ha ha!”
A strange, eerie sensation washed over me. Eldest Senior Brother laughed his usual foolish, hearty laugh, but a chill ran down my spine.
Then, Third Senior Brother’s urgent telepathic message pierced my ear.
—Oh no! Junior brother, get out of the way now!
“???”
I looked at Third Senior Brother with a confused expression, and another message came.
—That’s the reason Eldest Senior Brother hasn’t fully transcended yet! He doesn’t get angry easily at anything anymore, but he can’t tolerate being called dumb. Even if he calls himself dumb, you must never agree!
“...”
What the hell is that?
It’s fine for him to call himself dumb, but if someone else says it, he flips out? That’s completely insane.
‘Right. This is a den of lunatics.’
As I recalled that crucial fact.
“A ha ha ha ha! Did you just call me an idiot?”
Eldest Senior Brother’s rough laughter grew louder, and with it, fierce energy waves began swirling around him.
Directed at Seon-a, who had provoked him.
Of course, Seon-a was the precious jewel of the prestigious Hyeok-ryeon Clan even within the cult. Even Eldest Senior Brother would face problems if he harmed her, but if he were the type to worry about that, he wouldn’t have anger issues in the first place.
His internal energy-infused laughter grew louder, and the fierce waves surged toward Seon-a.
To stop Eldest Senior Brother’s rampage, Third Senior Brother and Jin Ha-yeon each began channeling their energy.
“Miss!!”
As the Hyeok-ryeon Clan’s guards waiting beyond the Wind Rock Hall wall rushed in.
“Eldest Senior Brother!! I got it!!! The solution!!!”
I blurted out anything to calm the situation first.
Right after. Eldest Senior Brother’s gaze turned to me. Still leaking terrifying energy waves.
My heart tightened, my chest felt suffocated, and even breathing was painful, but I squeezed out my meager internal energy and raised my voice.
“Promoting the third squad leader to vice leader is the best choice!”
“Why?”
As if his personality had flipped, Eldest Senior Brother’s eyes were already half-mad as he asked curtly.
Why the third squad leader?
Simple.
“You said he handles tasks the most meticulously, so he can cover for you when you’re away or busy!”
Because he was the easiest one to slack off from. Pick the most capable underling, and the boss has it easy, right?
‘Just like that damn team leader!!’
It was the answer that came to mind thinking of the team leader from my Seo Ji-hoon days, who even at the moment of my death, was slacking off and avoiding me.
Of course, if the third squad leader was competent in everything, Eldest Senior Brother wouldn’t even be worrying.
“You said his martial prowess is the lowest among the squad leaders, but it doesn’t matter! You as leader can more than make up for it in strength. So, the vice leader should be someone who covers your weaknesses.”
Unlike a rageaholic, Eldest Senior Brother listened to my argument, then burst into mad laughter as soon as I finished.
“Hah ha ha ha ha ha!!!“
Like a madman—no, like the madman he was—he threw his head back, laughing toward the sky, then lowered his head oddly and fixed his madness-filled eyes on me.
Heh.
“So, you’re saying since I’m dumb, I should promote the smart third squad leader to vice leader.”
With those words, the ground beneath Eldest Senior Brother exploded, and the anger-management-psycho charged at me.
Swinging a massive greatsword condensed with enormous crimson energy.